Button-sewing machine.



C. H. T. HAGELSTEIN.

BUTTON SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.2.1917.

Nw. Patented Feb. 5,1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET1.. Flgl.

2&0

N50 /zm EIB l wn O 'Igo ze' 'aan ua m inv enor Chrisun HTHugeUsn Amis.

c. H. T. HAGELsTElN.

BUTTON SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.2. I9I7.

g. Patented Feb. 5, 1918. v y 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FI Q12.

C. H. T. HAGELSTEIN.

BUTTON SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN.2. IsIi.

C. H. T. HAGLSTEIN.

BUTTON SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN.2. 1917.

Lw. Patented Feb. 1918.

F 7 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Ig. A

CHJRJISTIAN H. T. HAGELSTEJIN, OF

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE RJEECE BUTTON HOLE MACHINE COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION or Mamie.

BUTTON-SEWING MAGHINE.

` Specification of Letteralatent.

Patented Feb.. 5, 1915..

Application mea January a, 191'?. serial no. 140,153.

To all whom 'it may concern lBe it `known that ll, CHRISTIAN H. T. HAGELSTEIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, county of Sudolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Button-Sewing Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

his invention relates to button-sewing machines of the type illustrated in my copending application Se. No. 55,544, filed @ctober 12, 1915,'and it has particular reference to the hopper for receiving the buttons, the chute for conveying the buttons from the hopper to the sewing mechanism, the means for delivering the buttons from the hopper into the chute, and the means for actuating the chute.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved hopper and chute mechanism by which the buttons can be fed to the chute and delivered therefrom without danger of injury to the buttons; to provide an improved chute capable of accommodating buttons of different sizes; and to provide an improved means for opening the delivery end of the chute to allow the buttons to be delivered therefrom, which means can be actuated at the will of the operator, so as to permit of the buttons being removed from the chute when the operative parts of the machine are in any position; and otherwise to improve button-sewing machines, all as will be hereinafter set forth.

In order to give an understanding of the invention, I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described, after which the novel fea-v tures will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a front view of a button-sewing machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear side view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the hopper containing the button agitator and the means for operating said agitator;

Fig. 4 is an end view of the hopper;

Fig.5 is a detail view of the actuating cam or eccentric for operating the button agitator in the hopper;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view ofthe elastic link by which the gate at the lower end of the chute is actuated;

Flg. 7 is. a side view of the hopper and chute showing the chute in position to place a button in attaching position;

Fig. 8 is a side view of the chute showing 1t 1n retracted position.y

Flg. 9 is a sectional view through the hopper on the line 9-9, Fig. 10;

Fig. 10 is an opposite side view per from that shown in Fig. 7.

1 indicates the frame of the machine which is formed with the usual base portion 2 and with the overhanging arm 3. The base portion sustains the usual work support 4 on which the work rests, and associated with thls work support is the feed prong 5 which has both a vertical movement to cause it to penetrate the work and a lateral movement to cause it to feed the work. The work is held against the work support 4 by a presser foot 69. The buttons to be sewed to the work are presented in attaching position by means of a chute 161 and the operation of attaching the button to the work is accomplished in usual manner by means of a needle 6 carried by a'reciprocatmg needle bar 7, a looper 90 carried by an oscillatory looper shaft 91,

of the hopand a cast-off or spreader 38 which is secured to a rock-shaft 42 and which has both a horizontal and a vertical tipping movement. These button-attaching elements have the same construction as the similar elements illustrated and described in my co-pending application Se. No. 55,544, and they are similarly operated. As the present invention does not relate to the needle, spreader, looper or feed prong and their actuating means, it will not be necessary to refer herein to these parts more in detail other'than to say that laterally and at its next downward moveis thus sewed to the work are actuated from a driving shaft 11 which in turn is driven from a suitable pulley 12, some appropriate mechanism (not shown) being provided for clutching the pulley to or unclutching it from the shaft 11 as desired. l

The buttons which are to be sewed to the work are sustained in a suitable hopper 160 which is open at the top and is provided with a suitable cover 240 that is hinged to the hopper at 241. A suitable latch or locknut 292, after which the ing device 243 serves to hold the cover normally' closed. This hopper is pivotally mounted on a stud 170 carried by the frame of the machine, and it is provided with. a foot portion 290 having a notch 215 therein which is adapted to straddle a bolt 291 carried by the frame. 292 is a clamping nut on the bolt by which the foot 290 is clamped to the frame. The object of pivotally mounting the hopper on the stud 170 is to provide for emptymg the buttons therefrom. This operation involves loosening*1 the clamping opper can be tipped u about its pivotal stud 170 to permlt the uttons to be discharged therefrom upon opening the cover 240.

The chute 161 by which the buttons are delivered from the hopper to the sewing mechanism is of usual construction in that it comprises a back plate 162 against which the heads of the buttons rest as they pass down the chute, and a front piece made from the two parts 165 and 166 which are separated to provide a slot 163 in which the Shanks 164 of the buttons b are received. The head of the button is thus confined between the back plate 162 and the front piece comprising the two members 165, 166, and the button is guided in its passage through the chute by the shank following the slot 163.

In the machine herein illustrated, the chute is so constructed that the slot 163 faces toward the front of the machine and the chute is shaped to present the vertical portion at its upper end which leads directly to the hopper and the'laterally-curved portion at its lower end which extends to the sewing mechanism. By this arrangement the main portion of the chute is located close to the head 3 and it passes down between some of the operating mechanism. Moreover, the upper end of the chute communicates with the hopper at the end thereof adjacent the end of the overhanging arm. 3. This makes a very compact structure which has many advantages.

The back plate 162 is carried by two ad- ]usting screws 168 that are sustained in the front part of the chute, one of the adjusting screws being located at the upper end of the chute and the other at the lower end thereof. By turning these screws, the back plate 162 can be adjusted toward and from the front part of the chute so as to accommodate buttons of different sizes. The upper adjusting screw is provided with a head or thumbpiece 294 by which it may be turned, and this thumb-piece is connected by a link 246 with an arm 295 that is secured to the lower screw 168. The two screws are thus connected togetherso that they are turned in unison, and hence any adjustment of the upper screw 168 will be transmitted equally to the lower screw. This insures that in all adjusted positions the back plate 162 will always be maintained parallel to the front pieces 165, 166 of the chute,

The chute 161 is pivotally mounted upon the same stud 170 to which the hopper 160 is pivoted, and during the operation of sewing the button, the chute is given an oscillatory movement on the pivotal stud 170. This oscillatory movement first carries the chute into the position shown in Fig. 7 in which the button at the lower end of the' chute is placed in proper position to be sewed to the goods, and when the sewing operation is being completed, the chute is swung backwardly into the position shown in Fig. 8, thereby to withdraw the lower end thereof from the button which is being attached to the goods and allowing said button to be discharged from the chute. The connection between the chute and the hopper is such that the upper end of the groove 163 and also the space 280 between the front and -back of the chute in which the head of the button is received is in communication with the interior of the hopper in all positions of the chute. The upper end of the part 165 of the chute is formed with the curved surface 218 which is formed on the arc of a circle struck from the center of the pivotal stud 170, and this surface 218 fits against a correspondingly curved surface 219 formed on the hopper. Since these curved surfaces 218 and 219 are both struck from the center of the shaft 170, it will be seen that the movement of either the hopper 160 about said shaft or the chute 161 about said shaft is permitted without breaking the communication between the chute and the hopper.

The oscillatory movement of the chute which carries it forwardly to place the lowest button therein in attaching position and then retracts said chute to permit the button to be discharged is derived from a cam aaeaae groove 179 formed in a cam element 27 that is fast on the driving shaft 11. This cam groove 179 receives a roll 178 carried by an arm 176 pivoted to the trame at 177 and said arm is connected to the chute by a link 175. The cam groove 179 is so timed as to carry the chute forwardly into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 7 thereby to present the lowest button in the chute in position to be sewed to the. goods and to retract said chute at the proper time during the sewing operation to permit the end button to be discharged therefrom. Tn its backward posiythe buttons from the tion, the chute is entirely out of the way of the button during the feedin movement of the work and there is, there ore, no danger that the button will become injured in leaving` the chute.

In order to insure the positive delivery of chute as they are sewed to the work, I have provided herein a pickod mechanism which separates the last but ton from the other buttons in the chute and insures that said last button will be delivered positively from the chute as said chute is withdrawn into the position shown in Fig. 8. The lower end 181 of the member 165 is pivoted at 182 to the main body portion ot' the part 165 so that it can move toward and from the lower end 18S-ot the part 166. This pivoted end 181 is in the nature of a gate which when closed, as shown in Fig. 7, retains the last button in the chute, but which when opened, as shown in Fig. 8, permits the last button to be discharged from the chute.

In order to prevent more than one button from beingdischarged from the chute when the gate is open, 1 propose to secure to the gate a pick-oft member 180 having a tl-shaped end 184. This pick-oli' member is situated below the shank-receiving slot 163 when the gate is closed as in Fig. 7, but when the gate is open, the V-shaped end 184 of the pick-oli*I is carried upwardly partially" across the slot 163. This pick-ofi' is so positioned that when the gate is opened and the V- shaped end 184 moves upwardly, it will enter between the last button in the chute and the button next thereto. This pick-ofi' when raised will, therefore, act as a barrier to hold the next to the last button in the chute, and owing to the V-shape of the portion 184, the upward movement thereof will also act to assist in forcing the last button from the chute. `Means are provided for opening the gate 181 and raising the pick-0H 180 at the proper point in the cycle of operations. The pivoted gate 181 has an arm 185 extending upwardly therefrom which carries a roll 266 that operates in the slotted end 186. of a lever 187 that is pivotally supported on the shaft or stud 170. This lever 187 has pivotally connected thereto a link 188 that in turn is pivotally connected to an arm 189 Eivoled to the frame at 190, said arm 189 avmg a roll operating in a 'cam groove 191 formed in a cam element 23 that is fast on the driving shaft 11. With this construct1on, it will beseen that oscillating'movement of the arm 189 due to the operation of the cam groove 191 will act through the link 188 to swing the lever 187, and this will operate to open or close the gate 181. The cam grooves 191 and 179 are so designed relative to each other than the lever 187 will be held stationary relative to the chute during the movement of the chute until such time in the cycle of operations as the button is to be dellvered from the chute. At this time, the cam 191 will swing the lever 187 relative to the chute into the position shown in Fig. 8, thus raising the gate 181 to permit the last button to be discharged from the chute and swinging the nose 184 of the pick-ofi 180 upwardly between the shanks of the last button and the button next thereto. The last button is, therefore, positively delivered from the chute while the but-ton next thereto is retained in position.

have provided a construction herein whereby the gate 181 can be opened manually to permit the end button to be discharged therefrom, regardless of the position of the cam elements 27 and 23. The advantage of this is that it permits the end button to be removed from the chute if such action ingA the various parts any predetermined position. I accomplish this herein by making the link 188 in the nature of an elastic or compressible link so that whenever the operator presses backwardly on the arm 187, the link 188 will be compressed, thus opening the gate 181. While this compressible or elastic link may be made in various ways without departing fromv the invention, I have shown in Fig. 6 a simple construction. The link is made with the two sections 250 and. 251 having a telescopic relation. The section 250 is provided with a spring-receiving chamber 252 and it carries at its end a sleeve 253 screwthreaded into the chamber. The section 251 extends through the sleeve 253 and is capable of sliding therethrough and is provided at its inner end with a head 254 which rests against a spring 255 that is confined in the chamber 252. This spring 255 has sufficient VStrength so that it will not be compressed during the normal operation of the machine in opening and closing the gate 181 but ii", for instance, it is desirable to open the gate when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, the operator can do so rby merely pressing toward the right on the arm 187 with suiicient force to compress the spring 255 and thereby contract the link 188. This movement will open the gate to permit the end button to be discharged.

1s desired without necessarily bringof the apparatus into- The hopper 160 is provided with an a tator or button-feeding member by which t e buttons are agitated and fed to the upper end of the chute. In the machine herein shown, this button-feeding member is in the form of a disk 192, preferably made of leather or'some other slmilar material that will not injure the buttons by contact therewith. Said disk is secured to a hub that is made fast to a shaft 194 that extends transversely through and is journaled in the hopper 160. This disk is cut away along substantially the radial lines 71, 72 so as to leave a sector-shaped space. The shaft 194 with the agitator 192 thereon is given an oscillatory movement and the sector-shaped space between the edges 71 and 72 of the member 192 is situated in the button-receiving chamber of the hopper so 'that the buttons will occupy the space between these edges. During the oscillatory movement which the agitator 192 receives, the edges 71 and 72 will have engagement with and cause agitation of the buttons, and some of these buttons will be brought into a position so that the head thereof will occupy the groove 73 formed in the bottom of the hopper with the shank of the button lying on the surface 74. This groove 73 and surface 74 are formed on the` arc of a circle having the shaft 194 for their center and they extend up to the upper end of the chute. The buttons which thus become positioned with their heads in the groove 73 and their Shanks on the surface 74 will be carried upwardly by the movement of the-agitator 192 in an anticlockwise direction, Fig. 10, and as they reach the upper end of the chute, they will enter the chute and gravitate downwardly therein.

The shaft 194 may be oscillated by any suitable means without departing from my invention. I propose herein to actuate it from a cam associated with the driving pulley 12 so that the agitator 192 may be oscillate'd whenever the driving pulley 12 is in operation. The shaft 194 has fast thereto an arm 195 situated on the back side of the hopper, and said arm has a stud 196 that is adapted to be received in the forked portion 197 of a link 198 that is pivoted at 199 to an elbow lever 200. This elbow lever is pivoted to the frame at 78 and is connected by a link 201 with an arm 202 provided with a hub 79 that is loosely mounted on a rockshaft 80 that is journaled in bearings 81 formed on the frame. The rock-shaft 80 is provided with an arm 82 that carries at itsy When the hub is clutched to the rock-shaft,

then the oscillatory movement of the rockshaft which is derived from the cam groove 205 will be communicated to the arm 202,. and from said arm through the link 201, elbow-lever 200 and link 198 to the shaft 194, thus oscillating the agitator 192. 'Any suitable means may be provided for thus clutching the hub 79 to or unclutching it from the shaft 80. In Figs. 2 and 3, I have shown a clutch comprising a clutch sleeve 84 which is slidably mounted on the shaft 80 but rotative therewith, said sleeve being shown as mounted on a squared portion 85 of the shaft 80. This clutch sleeve 84 is provided with a clutch projection 86 adapted to enter a notch formed in the hub 79, as shown in Fig. 3. When in this position, the hub 79 will be clutched to the shaft 80. When the clutch sleeve 84 is moved to the right, Fig. 3, to disengage the clutch projection 86 from the notch in the Ihub 79, then the hub is unclutched from the shaft 80. The ,clutch sleeve is provided with a groove 87 in which is received a roll 88 carried by an arm 89 pivoted to the frame at 90. The arm 89 is shifted thereby to shift the clutch sleeve 84 by means of a lever 91 which is also pivoted to the frame at 90 and is provided with a slot 92 in which is received a pin 93 extending from the arm 89. The lower end of the lever 91 extends beyond the pivotal point 90 and is acted upon by a spring 94 that tends to hold the lever in either one of its two eX- treme positions. The hub 79 is shown in Figs. 2 and 3 as being clutched to the shaft 80. To unclutch said hub from the shaft, the lever 91 is thrown to the left, Fig. 2. The initial movement of the lever is not communicated to the arm 89 because of the lost motion permitted by the slot 92. When the right-hand end of the slot 92 in Fig. 2 comes against the pin 93, then further movement of the lever 91 will shift the clutch-sleeve 84 to disengage it from the hub 79. A reverse movement of the lever 91 will clutch the hub to the shaft again.

The object of providing this lost motion between the actuating lever 91 and the arm 89 is to permit the lever 91 to have a suiiiciently angular position in each of its extreme positions so that the spring 94 will effectively hold it in such position.

The part of the agitator 192 which is effective in agitating and feeding the buttons is the shoulder or edge 71. It is desirable that the agitator should act only lon the buttons which are in a position directly adjacent to the upper end of the chute, and to insure that this shall be the case, I have so formed the hopper that only the portion of the agitator 192 adjacent the edges 71` 72 can come in contact with the buttons. The wall of the hopper adjacent the agitator is made in. two parts, one part 95 thereof being aeeaeae situated on the inside of the agitator 192, and the other part 96 thereof being situated on the outside ot' the agitator. These two parts are spaced from each other a sutlicient distance to permit the agitator to freely work between them'. The part 95 of the wall ot' the hopper extends to the. dotted lilies 9T, 98 in lfig. 10, while the part 96 eX- tends sufficiently to slightly overlap the edges 9T, 98. The onlj7 portion of the agit-ator, therefore. which can have engagement with the buttons is thatl which is exposed between the edges 97 and 98. The link 198 is preferably made elastic so that it will give or yield iu case the agitator strikes an obstruction or engages a button that is caught in theehute or is abnormal in size, thus preventing any injurjr to the parts of the machine or to the buttons. This elast-ic or yielding feature is obtained by making the link in two parts 209, 21() which have a telescopi-c action. The part 209 is yoke-shaped and the part 210 is provided with a collar 211 which operates between the arms of the yoke and engages a spring 212 that surrounds the member 210 and is confined between the collar 211 and the back of the yoke. This spring is of sufficient tension so that it will not be compressed by the normal action ofy the agitator, but if the agitator meets any undue obstruction, the spring will yield, thus preventing any injury to the parts. The expansible link 198 can be readily disconnected from the arm 195 by simply swinging the link upwardly to remove the forked portion 197 from the stud 196. This disconnection 0f the link 198 is necessary whenever it is desired to tip the hopper up abou-tits pivot 170 for discharging buttons therefrom.

T have also provided means whereby the agitator 192 can be operated by hand while the machine is at rest. For this purpose, the shaft 194 has a handle 100 fast thereon which is situatedexterior to the hopper and which plays betweentwo stops 101. 1f it is desired to agitate the buttons by hand, the link 198 is disconnected from the arm 195 and the agitator is actuated by the handle 100.

, The adjustable back 162 of the chute 161 is formed at its upper end with a plate 220 which overlies the lportion 96 of the hopper wall. This portion96 of the hopper wall is capable of movement laterally or in a direction parallel to the shaft 194, and it is acted upon by springs which Aserve to hold it against the plate 220 in all adjusted positions of the chute back 162. By'this means there will always be a proper relation between the back of the chute and theportion 96 of the hopper wall in all adjusted positions of the chute. The portion 96 of the hopper wall has rigid therewith a stud 224 which is slidably mounted through an ear.

formed on the hopper. This stud carries a collar 226 and a spring 227 1s sltuated between the ear 225 and the collar. This spring tends to move the section 96 of the hopper wall to the left, Fig. 4, and thus maintains it in engagement with the plate 220 of the chute back 162.

The stud 224 is shown as secured to an ear 310 which in turn is secured to the part 96 of the wall of the hopper. l have also provided herein' means whereby when the back 162 of the chute and the section 96 of the wall of the hopper are separated from the front portion of the chute to accommodate buttons of larger sire, the agitator 192 will alsol automatically be moved with the section 96 of the wal] of the hopper so as to prevent the formation of a space between the section 96 of the wall and the agitator in which buttons might be caught or become crowded. The ear 310 is shown as having an extension 311 which overlies a portion of the hub to which the agitator 192 is secured. The shaft 194 is provided with a collar 312 thereon, and a spring 313 is situated between the collar and one wall of the hopper. The spring tends to urge the agitator 192 toward the section 96 of the wall of the hopper and the movement of the agitator in this direction is limited by the engagement of the hub 70 with the extension 311 of the ear 310. A. proper relation will thus always be maintained between the wall 96 of the hopper and the agitator 192 in all adjusted positions of the back of the chute.

While l have illustrated herein a selected embodiment of my invention, l do not wish to be limited to the constructional features shown.

ll claim:

1. Tn a button-sewing machine, the combination with button-'sewing mechanism, of work-feeding means, a hopper, and a chute for conveying buttons from the hopper to the button-sewing mechanism, said chute extending downwardly from the hopper in a vertical direction and having its lower end curved laterally toward the button-sewing mechanism in a direction atright angles to the direction of feeding movement.

2. ln a button-sewing machine, the combination with a hopper having one wall thereof formed in two sections situated out of alinement with each other, of a chute leading from the hopper, and an oscillatory button-feeding member situated between the sections of the wall of the hopper and having a. portion thereof situated to o erate on the buttons in the hopper and fee them to the chute.

3. ln a button-sewingn machine, the combination with a hopper having one wall thereof formed in two sections situated out of alinement with each other, of a chute leading from the hopper, and an oscillatory button-feeding member situated between the ing a portion thereof situated to operate on the buttons in the hopper and feed them to the chute, one section of the wall preventing the buttons from coming into engagement with the portion of the button-feeding member between said wall sections.

4.'In a button-sewing machine, the combination with a hopper having one wall thereof made in two sections situated in substantially parallel planes but spacedfrom each other, of a chute communicating with the hopper, and an oscillatory buttonfeeding member situated between said two sections ofv the wall of the hopper and operating to feed buttons from the hopper into the chute. v

, 5. In a button-sewing machine, the combination with a hopper, of a chute communieating therewith a disk-shaped button-feeding member having a button-engaging edge and operatingto feed buttons from the hopper into the chute, and a guard overlying the body of the button-feeding member.

6. In a button-sewing machine, the combination with a hopper havincr a discharge opening and a laterally-movable wall a jacent said opening, of a chute communicating with said discharge opening and presenting front and back portions adjustable relative to each otherfto accommodate different sizes of buttons, and means automatically maintainingsaid movable wall of the hopper in alinement with the rear portion of the chiite in all adjusted positions of the l latter. Y

7. In a button-sewing machine, the combination with a hopper having a discharo'e opening, one wall of the hopper being ma e in two sections situated in substantial parallelism but spaced apart, of a chute communicating with said discharge openin and presenting front and back portions a justable 'relative to each other to accommodate different sizes of buttons, a button-feeding member situated between said sections of the wall and operating to feed buttons from the hopper to the chute, and means maintaining one section of the hopper wall in alinement with the rear portion of the chute in all adjusted positions of the latter.

8. In a button sewing machine, the combination with a frame, of button-sewing mechanism, a hopper having a discharge opening, and a chute having a button-receiving passage and pivotally sustained at its upper end to turn relative to the hopper about an axis located at one side of said button-receiving passage thereby to permit the lower end of said chute to swing bodily toward and from the button-sewing mechanism, said discharge opening of the hopper having communication with the chute in all positions of the latter.

9. In a button-sewing machine, the combination with a frame, of button-sewing mechanism, a chute pivotally sustained adjacent its upper end and having its upper extremity convexly curved on the are of a circle struck from the axis of its pivotal movement as a center, a hopper having a discharge opening which is in communication with the chute in all positions of the latter and having a concavely curved sur- 75 face fitting the c urved upper extremity of the chute and on which the latter rocks.

\ 10. In a button-sewing machine, the combination with button-sewing mechanism, of a button-containing hopper, a chute communicating with said hopper and constructed to con uct buttons from the hopper to the button-sewing mechanism, a rock-shaft ljournaled in the hopper, a button-feeding -member lmounted on the rock-shaft, and means including an elastic link for oscillating said rock-shaft.

11. In a button-sewing machine, the combination .with button-sewing mechanism, of a' button-containing hopper, a chute commuiiicatinv with said hopper and constructed to conduct buttons from the hopper to the button-sewing mechanism, a rock-shaft journaled in the hopper, a button-feeding member mounted on the rock-shaft, and means including a longitudinally-compressible link for oscillating said rock-shaft.

12. In a button-sewing machine, the combination with button-sewing mechanism, of a button-containing hopper, a chute com municating with the hopper and constructed to conduct buttons therefrom tothel buttonsewing mechanism, a rock-shaft journaled in the hopper and provided with a crank arm having a crank pin, a button-feeding 105 member secured to the rock-shaft, and means including a link detachably connected to the crank pin for oscillating the rock-shaft and button-feeding member.

13. In a button-sewing machine, the com- 1.10 bination with button-sewing mechanism, of a button-containing hopper, a chute communicating with the hopper and constructed to conduct buttons therefrom to the button-sewing mechanism, a rock-shaft jour- 115 naled in the hopper and provided with a crank pin, a button-feeding member secured to the rock-shaft, and means including a longitudinally-compressible link detachably connected to the crank pin for oscillating 12o the rock-shaft and button-feeding member.

14:. In a button-sewing machine, the combination with a hop-per, of a chute leading therefrom, a rock-shaft journaled in the hopper and provided with a crank arm, a button- 125 feeding member carried by said rock-shaft and adapted to feed buttons from the hopper to the chute, a continuously-oscillating actuator, and connections between said actu'- ator and the button-feeding member for os- 130 mamma cillating the latterfrom the former, Said connections including a clutch and a link detachably connected to the crank arm.

15. In a button-sewing machine, the cornbination with a hopper, of a chute leading therefrom, a rockshaft journaled in the hopper and provided with a crank arm, a button-feeding member carried by the rockshaft for feeding buttons froln the hopper to the chute, a continuously-oscillating rockshaft, a link detachably secured to said crank arm, and connectionsincluding a clutch between said link and continuously-oscillating rock-shaft.

16. In a button sewing machine, the combination with a frame, of a hopper sustained 011 the upper portion thereof, a chute leading from the hopper, an oscillatory button feeding member for feeding buttons from the hopper to the chute, a continuously-os cillating rock-shaft journaled on the frame at the side thereof below the hopper, links and levers forming a connection between said rock-shaft and button-feeding member, and a clutch for operatively connecting said links and levers to or disconnecting them from the continuouslyoscillating rock-shaft.

17. In a button-sewing machine, the combination with button-sewing mechanism, of a hopper, a chute to conduct buttons from the hopper to the button-sewing mechanism, a gate at the lower end of the chute, means to open the gate as each button is sewed to the work to permit said button to be discharged from the chute, and means to permit the gate to be opened by the operator at will at any point in the cycle of operations.

18. In a button sewing machine, the combination with button-sewing mechanism, of a hopper, a chute to deliver buttons from the hopper to the button-sewing mechanism, a gate at the discharge end of the chute, and means to open the gate at the proper time in the cycle of operations to permit each button to be discharged therefrom as it is sewed to the work, said means including a yielding member having sufficient strength to operate the gate without yielding but which can be made to yield by manually applying pressure thereto thereby opening the ate.

g 19, In a button-sewing machine, the com` bination with button-sewing mechanism, of a hopper, a chute to deliver buttons from the hopper to the button-sewing mechanism, a gate at the lower end of the chute, and means to open the gate as each button is sewed to the work to permit said button to be discharged from the chute, said means including an elastic link whereby the gate can be opened at any point in the cycle of operations by manually compressing said link.

20. In a button-sewing machine, the combination with a hopper, of a chute leading therefrom, the chute, a driving shaft, a cam thereon, a lever operated by said cam, and a connection including an elastic link between said lever and said gate. j

. 21. In a button-sewing machine, the combination with a hopper having a movable wall, of a chute communicating therewith and presenting front and back portions which are separate from said movable wall of the hopper and are adjustable relative to each other to accommodate different sizes of buttons, and means to cause said movable wall to move with themovable portion of the chute as the latter is adjusted whereby said wall and chute are maintained in proper alinement.

22. In a button-sewing machine, the combination with a hopper having a discharge opening, one wall of the hopper being made in two sections situated in substantial parallelism but spaced apart, of a chute communicating with said discharge opening and presenting front and back'portions adjustable relative to each other to accommodate diferentsizes of buttons, a button-feeding member situated between said sections of the wall and operating to feed buttons from the hopper to the chute, means maintaining one section of the hopper wall in alinement with the rear portion of the chute in all adjusted positions of the latter, and means for maintaining a proper relative position between said section of the hopper wall and the-button-feeding member as said wall section is adjusted.

23. In a button-sewing machine, the combination with a hopper having a discharge opening, one wall of the hopper being made in two sections spaced apart, of a chute communicating with said discharge opening and presenting front and back portions, means to adjust the back portion relative to the front portion to accommodate different sizes of buttons, a button-feeding member situated between the sections of the wall and operating to feed buttons from the `hopper to the chute, means forI maintainmg the outer section of the wall in alinement with the rear portion of the chute in all adjusted positions of the latter, and automatically-operative means to maintain the button-feeding member in proper position relative to said outer section of the hopper wall as the latter is adjusted.

24. In a button-sewing machine, the combination with a hopper, one wall of which is movable laterally, of a chute communieating with said hopper and presenting front and back portions between which the buttons are fed, means for adjusting the back portion toward and from the front portion to accommodate did'erent sizes of buttons, means sustaining the movable wall of the hopper for yielding movement as the a gate at the discharge end of back of the chute is adjusted and for maintaining; said hopper Wall in alinement with the back of the chute.

25. In a button-sewing machine, the combination with a hopper,4 one Wall of which is movable laterally, of a chute communieating -with said hopper and presenting front and back portions between which the buttons are fed, means. for adjusting the back portion toward and from the front portion to accommodate different sizes of buttons, means sustaining the movable Wall of the ho per for yielding movement as the back of tide chute 1s adjusted and for maintaining saidhopper wall in alinement with the back-ofthe chute, a button-feeding member, an oscillatory rock-shaft on which said member is mounted, said rockfshaft `being movable lon 'itudinally, and means for maintaining t e buttonfeeding member in proper relative position to the movable wall of the hopper in all adjusted positions of the back of the chute.

26. In a button-sewing machine, the combination with a hopper of a. chute leading therefrom, a rock-shaft journaled in the hopper and provided with a crank arm, a button-feeding member carried by said rock-shaft, a ,continuously-oscillating actulator, a link detachably connected to said crank arm, connections between said link and said actuator, and a clutch for rendering said connections operative o r inoperative.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

, CHRISTIAN H. T. HAGELSTEIN. 

